Commercial development and applications of a plant volatile-based attract-and-kill product

Abstract

In 2009 we registered product (Magnet®) containing a mixture of plant volatile attractants, a feeding stimulant and various excipients, for the control of Helicoverpa spp. and other noctuid moths in Australia on cotton, corn and beans. We believe this to be the first sprayable attract-and-kill formulation using plant volatiles to obtain registration anywhere in the world. Farmers add small quantities of any of three insecticides prior to application, which can be either aerial or ground-based. Magnet® was used on up to 50% of the acreage of conventional cotton, and substantial area-wide impacts on Helicoverpa spp. abundance were obtained. However, in recent years Australian cotton has been dominated by transgenic insect-resistant varieties which do not need protection from Helicoverpa spp. and this has greatly reduced the market for the product. We will describe studies aimed at developing applications for plant volatile based attract-and-kill for other species in other crops, including some from families other than Noctuidae. We will also describe our experiences with the Australian regulatory system, and the implications for registration of similar formulations, and we will discuss the impact of such formulations on non-target insects, including honey bees.